History of American Football Timeline
__TOC__ Ancient football (1,400 BC-699 AD) *Unknown: Australian Aboriginals start to play what is perhaps the first ball game, Marn Grook. *Circa 2,690 BC: The Yellow Emperor (Huang Di), according to legend, ordered his servants to decapitate him and then kick his disembodied head around in the manner of a soccer ball. *Circa 1,700-1,600 BC: The oldest known rubber balls in recorded history are made at El Manati. *Circa 1,400 BC: The oldest ballcourt in recorded history is constructed for the Mesoamerican game at Paso de la Amada. *Circa 800 BC: The ancient Greeks begin playing the violent sport of Episkyros ("commonball"). *'776 BC: The ancient Olympic Games begin.' *Circa 476 BC: The ancient Chinese game of Cuju ("kick ball") emerges during the Warring States Period as a method of fitness for the military. *Circa 206 BC: Cuju's popularity spreads to the upper class during the Han Dynasty. *Circa 146 BC: Harpastum ("small ball game") is "invented" after the Battle of Corinth and Greece's annexation by Rome; Caesar uses the game as a way to increase to the fitness of his troops. *'394 AD: Theodosius I bans the Olympic Games in the Roman Empire.' *644 AD: Thanks to Chinese influence, the Japanese begin playing the winner-less game of kemari; however, it is highly likely the game started long before this date. Medieval football (700-1749) *Circa 828: Nennius mentions a "party of boys playing at ball" in his Historia Brittonum. *Circa 1050: As legend goes, a group of soldiers digs up the grave of a Danish prince and kicks around his skull, leading to the term "kicking the Dane's head". *Circa 1200: The game of "Ball" is mentioned in Layamon's Brut. *'April 13, 1314: King Edward II of England bans football due to its excessive unruliness.' *1319: Philip V of France bans football. *June 12, 1349: Edward III of England also outlaws football, but for its popularity over archery (which was considered practical training for war). *1396: The rules of la soule are codified. *1409: Henry IV attempts to outlaw football; he uses the word "foteball" in this edict, making the first known English reference to the word. *'May 26, 1424: The Football Act is passed in Scotland, directly outlawing the sport.' *Circa 1430: Thomas Lydgate mentions the game of "Camp Ball". *1440: The Bishop of Tréguier maintains that souleurs will excommunicated from the Church and punished severely. *'Fifteenth century: Earliest known description of a football game, written in Latin.' *1526: Henry VIII orders the first ever pair of football boots/cleats. *1531: Sir Thomas Elyot notes the inherent violence of early football in his Boke name the Governour. *1540: Despite playing the game, Henry VIII attempts to rid England of football yet again, inspiring riots. *1580: Giovanni de Bardi, a Florentine count, publishes the rules of calcio fiorentino. *1581: In spite of the connotation of negativity concerning medieval football, Richard Mulcaster writes of its many benefits for children and teens. *1585: John Davis and his crew participate in a game of aqsaqtuk ("soccer on ice") with the Inuit of Greenland. *'1608: William Shakespeare uses "football player" as an insult in ''King Lear.' *Circa 1620: Amerindians begin the rough mass sport of Pasuckuakohowog ("they gather to play ball with the foot"). *'1660: Francis Willughby's Book of Sports describes in detail a surprisingly modern game that can properly be called soccer.' *Circa 1660: Though described as a master footballer, Oliver Cromwell achieves a moderate-but-unprecedented degree of success in stopping football games. *'1681: Charles II of England grants the game royal approval.' Rugby and early modern football (1750-1868) *1750: The Rugby School begins playing football. *1801: Joseph Strutt publishes ''The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, accurately writing about the modern game of soccer. *'Circa 1820-1839: "Football" players at the Rugby School implement a unique style involving carrying, rather than kicking, the ball around the field.' *1820's: American universities on the Atlantic coast take up "old division football"/"the game". *'1848: The "Old Rugbeians'" challenge to the "Old Etonians" leads to the Cambridge Rules (which prohibit carrying the football), thus separating rugby and soccer/association football once and for all.' *'1863: The Cambridge Rules are revised again concerning the growing popularity of the rugby code in Europe. The Football Association is formed to formalize the difference between association code and rugby code football.' *1865: The first game of rugby in Canada occurs when officers of the British Army play civilians in Montreal. Early years (1869-1919) *'November 6th-13th, 1869: The first ever American football games between Rutgers and Princeton occur under "soccer-style"/association rules.' Rutgers and Princeton each win one game and split the first ever "mythical national championship". *'May 14th, 1874: Harvard plays McGill University, leading to adoption of "rugby-style" play in the United States.' *November 23, 1876: The Massasoit Convention formalizes the "rugby-style" code of American football. The Golden Age (1920-1931) 1920 *August 20th: Representatives from the Ohio League meet in a Canton Hupmobile dealership to form a new professional football league called the American Professional Football Association. *September 26th: The APFA Rock Island Independents defeat the semi-pro St. Paul Ideals at home 48-0 as a Douglas Park crowd of a mere 800 watches the "first ever" APFA game. *October 3rd: The first two "true" APFA games are played. The Dayton Triangles defeat the Muncie Flyers 14-0, while the Rock Island Independents obliterate the Muncie Flyers by a score of 45-0. Modernization, stabilization, and growing popularity (1932-1953) The "Dark Times" (1954-1959) Resurgence and expansion (1960-1973) Competition and consolidation (1974-1986) "This is for the fans" (1987-1997) Collapse of American football (1998-2006) "Have Faith" (2007-present) Category:Timelines